Point and Non-Point Source Pollution

Pollution and contamination.

They can be scary words. They can mean a bad hamburger that isn't fit to eat or going out in a crowd and catching a cold from someone else.

When they concern drinking water, they can mean chemicals or "things" in the water that shouldn't be there.

Drinking water can become contaminated by point sources and non-point sources of pollution.

Point sources come from a single place or "point" - spills, leaking storage tanks or lagoons that leak and illegal dumps are a few examples.

Non-point sources come from widespread activities that don't originate from just one place. Agricultural and lawn fertilizers, septic tanks in a subdivision and large construction sites are examples.

Government agencies, public and private organizations, businesses and citizens have all taken increasing steps to reduce both point and non-point sources of soil and water pollution over the last 25 years.